July 3rd, 2008: New York at Seattle

Seattle Storm 84, New York Liberty 71

Paging Loree Moore to the New York Liberty. Will Loree Moore please get her ass back to the New York Liberty?

My first visit to the Key was everything I could possibly have hoped for, and I get now why people speak so highly of it- the only thing that went wrong was that, oh, yeah, the Liberty lost, and for me, that is a sad-making thing.

I really like Seattle Center. Very pretty- reminded me a little of the Mall in DC. Bought my tickets yesterday, exchanged teasing words with the folks there, and came back today to drop off some tickets at will call. On my way there, as I tromped along the street, limping because my right pinky toe is in fact one giant blister, I heard someone yell, "Hey, Queenie!" Besides the fact that that fulfilled one of the fantasies I'd had about this trip, it was all kinds of cool- the driver was Brrringy, of Stormfan fame, and she brought me over to jilly's house, where I met her and her infamously photogenic kidlets, then gave me a lift back to the Key. I think that's one of my favorite things about Stormfans- it's like one big Internet-connected family.

I love the Key. I mean it. I don't understand what the hell the NBA's issue is with it. I felt more comfortable there than I ever thought I would in a strange arena- I think it's because here it's clear the WNBA team is the tenant, at least during the season, (yeah, yeah, ignoring the Sonics news)- the people who run the Key are focused on the team that's there at the time. At the Garden, I always get the sense that the Liberty are the red-headed stepchild. The curtains helped- for a while, I even forgot that there were seats up there. About the only thing I don't like about the Key are the cupholders- they make the seats too narrow and the aisles too narrow. But if that's the only complaint I can come up with...

Would someone clue me in on what happened to Janel? Why she didn't play part of the second quarter and the entire second half? Because she better have been hurt or sick or something along those lines, because I can't seriously believe that That Moron would have passed the event horizon of stupidity for some petty reason. I don't think that helped our attempts to defend Lauren Jackson- note that I said attempts, this is LJ we're talking about here- because Cathrine was gods-awful on defense, and while Erlana tried, she's a rookie and easily tricked. (Also, Erlana? You ARE NOT IVORY LATTA. please stop with the fancy dribbling. What is with centers who think they're point guards on this team?) Cathrine at least got some of her shots, but I cannot express enough my extreme frustration with her "rebounding" and "defense". Loree did not put any mark on this game. At all. Essence brought more offense in one game than I've seen from her in two weeks straight- I just wish she'd figure out that the WNBA three-point line is further back than the collegiate line, because we might only have lost by ten if those long twos had been threes. It's uncharcteristically stupid of E to make the same mistake over and over and over again. Shameka got hot late, though the Storm fans I was with were very impressed with her range. For some reason, when Cathrine was playing like the worst kind of crap, that was when That Moron decided to deviate from her pattern and go with Leilani before Tiffany... and then put Tiffany in for Janel. The logic or lack thereof broke my brain a little. Leilani played well- fluffy little bunny has nerve. Lisa... did not play well. Let's leave it at that. Not a lot of Ashley, and a very momentary Erin Thorn sighting. I just don't understand my team sometimes, I really don't.

Lauren Jackson is unfrickinbelievable, and I realize this is belaboring the obvious liek woah, but she really is amazing. Bird played a great floor game, not to mention the scoring she put up because she ran circles around our guards. Swoopes, yeah, what tweaked knee? She helped turn the momentum back around right when the Libkids had cut it to 9. Cash was solid, and I thought played above average defense. Griffith was there, and part of the fierce rebounding (yeah, seriously, I knew it was a bad sign for the 'kids when Seattle's first possession started with four offensive rebounds before LJ could score). Don't remember much about the Seattle bench, to be honest with you, but, yeah, Tanisha Wright is not a point guard. Seattle loves their Huskies, though- O'Neill got one helluva hand when she came into the game, though she didn't play all that much. I guess solid but unimpressive might be the word.

Wish these notes were doomier. But I'm wiped.